Leaving Pride
by chibi-abi
Summary: ONE-SHOT! Usagi and Mamoru have been married for a year now. Their marriage had fallen apart because of Mamoru’s neglection of Usagi. Because of this, Usagi was forced to move out of the house and leave Mamoru.


"LEAVING PRIDE"  
By: chibi_abi  
  
Disclaimer: You know I don't own the series. Heck if I did, I would rule the world!! Just kidding but honestly, I really don't own it. So peeps who own it, don't sue me! Please!!  
  
Usagi and Mamoru have been married for a year now. Their marriage had fallen apart because of Mamoru's neglection of Usagi. Because of this, Usagi was forced to move out of the house and leave Mamoru.  
  
One Monday Night...  
  
"Usako... I'm home!" Mamoru said as he entered his two-story house. He removed his blue-and-white striped tie and unbuttoned the first button of his long-sleeved shirt. He expected to see Usagi to come and greet him but only silence met him. "Usako?!"  
  
He looked around the dark house and saw that no one was there.... The kitchen light was turned off and he was surprised since he knew Usagi was always there when he arrived... Then, he noticed that all of Usagi's cute and kinky stuff had disappeared. He went to their bedroom and found an empty dresser and messy bathroom. When he got to the queen-sized bed, Mamoru saw a pink envelope with his name written on it.  
  
'This is her handwriting...' Mamoru said to himself as he examined the calligraphy on the envelope. Anyone could see that he was scared to read the letter. With slightly trembling hands, he ripped the top of the envelope. A scent filled the room and Mamoru recognized it as Usagi's vanilla perfume. He pulled out the pink stationary and unfolded it...  
  
Dearest Mamoru,  
By the time you read my letter, you'd probably have noticed that I'm not around anymore. I don't know how to break this to you but I can't take life with you anymore. I don't know what happened to us. We used to be so happy. I decided to leave you... for now. I just wanted to stay away for awhile... To stay away from it all... Since you started your company, you neglected me. I hope that you'll come to realize that there are more important things in the world, like love and me...I hope that you'll come looking for me and if you decide to change... Maybe, I can come back again...  
  
Usagi  
  
"Usako... Yeah, what happened to us?" Mamoru said as he thought about those words. He knew that she was right. He looked at the paper and tears dropped from his eyes...  
  
2 weeks later...  
  
One morning, Usagi woke up not feeling pretty good. It had been two weeks since she had left Mamoru. It's been a great experience to finally go out and meet some people. She was even invited to do a commercial, which she declined because Mamoru might find out where she lived. She loved the life she was living but this day was not a day that she felt like celebrating...  
  
"Uuuggghhhh... What is wrong with me? I feel like vomiting." Usagi said as she sat up from her bed and removed the pink and purple quilt that covered her. She was now living in her own house, two blocks from Mamoru's, a house she bought with the money she saved for special purposes. Since, Mamoru had every say in their marriage, Usagi saved the money secretly. It was a cute house, white walls and blue shingles. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Her bedroom was colored in a green hue and her kitchen was well- stocked. She walked to her comfort room and looked at herself in the mirror. "Man, I have bags under my eyes... But I didn't sleep late last night at all!"  
  
She took a shower and dressed for work. She had started a restaurant with Ami, Mina, and Makoto. They all knew that Usagi left Mamoru and felt that it was right because they saw with their own eyes how Usagi had been suffering. Rei was the only one who didn't know since they couldn't contact her because she was working in the States. And because she was Mamoru's sister, they were kinda scared to tell her. So, Usagi put on a pair of black pants and a red sleeveless top. She wore her black step-ins and tied her hair in a high ponytail. She put on light make-up and she stepped out of her house at exactly 8 o'clock and walked to their restaurant, Moon Café.  
  
"Hey guys!" Usagi called out as she entered the café. Ami looked at her, looked at her watch, and nodded. She was holding the blue accounting book and she wore a white blouse with jeans. Usagi saw her nod and laughed, "Glad I'm not late, huh, Ami-chan? Geez, it's just 8 in the morning."  
  
"Well, that's better than being late!" Ami said as she tucked her blue hair behind her ear and went back to her accounting book. Then, she looked up and exclaimed, "Oh yeah... I forgot to tell you, Makoto wants to see you in the kitchen."  
  
"Ok... Thanks!!" Usagi said as she went through the kitchen's swinging door. But returned and asked Ami, "Wait!! Where's Mina? Did you call her? She's usually earlier than me."  
  
"I'll give her a call later." Ami said and sighed. "C'mon.. I think Mako- chan is getting kinda impatient. I think it's important. You know how she is."  
  
With that, Usagi went inside the kitchen and tied an apron to her body. Their kitchen included stoves, a huge table, and a huge cabinet for ingredients. Their café specialized in pastries and coffee. Then, she fixed all the stuff that was needed during the day. While she was doing that, Makoto came in, wearing an apron over her lime tank top and black pants. Her amber hair tied in the same manner with a green scoongie. "Wow! You're early today!"  
  
"Yeah... I know... Actually, I don't feel so good... I wonder what's gotten into me." Usagi said as she started to heat up the stove. Ever since Makoto taught her to cook, she proved to have a positive gift in baking and she was also an average meal maker. "Hey, can you pass the batter?"  
  
"You don't look pretty good to me..." Makoto said as she passed the bowl of cookie batter to Usagi. She examined Usagi with her olive green eyes. "Maybe you should go see a doctor or something?"  
  
"No way! That's the last thing I need right now! Hey, what were you going to say to me?" Usagi said as she poured the batter into cookie sheets. She set the timer and faced Makoto. "Ami-chan said that it was pretty important."  
  
"Nah... Not really..." Makoto said while looking kind of embarrassed. She turned away then crossed her arms and looked at Usagi seriously. "We, the three of us, wondered if you are still going to go back to Mamoru. Mina saw him once and he looked really depressed. I mean, he doesn't smile anymore and he doesn't look good. And he always calls us to see if we knew where you were and we know we can't tell him. I know you want to go back but what are you waiting for?"  
  
"He never came looking for me. He doesn't know that I'm just two blocks away from his house. You know, I'm just waiting for him to understand, to learn to take care of the things that are important to him. I guess his company is far more important than I am..." Usagi said as crystalline tears started to form around her oval blue eyes... Just then, they could hear the chirpy voice of Mina talking to Ami. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and said, "Ok, you better go out there, Mako-chan, I'll fix the stuff in here. We'll be opening in half an hour. Be sure to get ready!!"  
  
"Hai, General!" Makoto saluted and marched outside. Usagi could hear their voices growing louder then softer then peals of laughter would follow the silence.  
  
"Yeah... I wonder what happened to us. Mamo-chan..." Usagi murmured to herself as she mixed a new batch of batter for her famous fudge brownies. "If Rei were here, she'd help me. Then, I wouldn't feel so bad."  
  
Usagi baked all the cookies and cakes they needed and brought them out, arranged in trays. Mina sat at the cashier and Makoto was behind the glass where you can pick what you want to buy. Ami was busy in cleaning up the tables. The waiters were also cleaning up and fixing things around. Usagi went to where Makoto was and put all the goods inside the glass. The glass was specially created to keep the pastries hot and crisp. Then, the café opened and people trickled in. All of a sudden, Usagi felt her stomach lurch, she looked at Makoto who was looking at her strangely, and ran to the nearest comfort room.  
  
"Hey... Mako-chan? What happened to Usagi?" Mina asked as she tied her long, blonde hair with a pink ribbon. She looked pretty worried because she had seen Usagi run to the comfort room. "You think she's okay?"  
  
"I better go check on her. Ami will have to take over here. The boys will take care of the tables and such." Makoto said, referring to the hired waiters. She quickly ran to the comfort room where she could hear Usagi's evil retching. "Usa-chan? Are you all right?"  
  
"No... What do you think?" Usagi said while looking at the toilet, her eyes trying hard to focus. She really felt bad. "I think we'd go better see that doctor."  
  
"Yeah... C'mon, we'll use my car. Ami and Mina can take over for awhile." Makoto said as Usagi came out of the cubicle. Makoto turned around, only to see a sickly, blonde girl. Usagi looked at her with eyes that turned into dark blue hues. Suddenly, her knees gave under her and she collapsed. "Usagi!!!!"  
  
It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon when Usagi woke up. She looked around to see that she was in a hospital room. She looked to her side and saw Makoto in a chair, nodding in sleep, Mina in the couch and slightly snoring, and Ami, by the window. "Hey guys... what happened?" she asked while trying to sit up.  
  
"Usagi!!!" Ami shouted! This woke up the other two girls. They glanced around, forgetting where they were. "I am so glad you're ok! Do you know what happened to you? Wait... Maybe, Makoto should tell you this one."  
  
"You fainted right in the comfort room. We brought you here as fast as we could. Anyway, the doctor will be here soon with your results but I'm wondering what's wrong with you." Makoto said as she rubbed her eyes. She re-tied her ponytail and looked at her watch. "Wow... it's 5 pm! Man... you were asleep for 9 hours! Really now, what could be so wrong with you??"  
  
"Hey!! I know!! But my idea might be too bizarre!" Mina said as she looked at Usagi with a slight smile. She straightened out her pink shirt and purple skirt and looked at the faces around the room, which were looking at her curiously. Then, she said with a hint of hesitation in her voice, "Uuummm... you know, with all those things happening to you, you might be pregnant!"  
  
"What!!! Mina! How could you say that?" Makoto said as she sat up from her chair and looked at the blonde as if she were crazy. "What has gotten into you, too?"  
  
The other two girls did not utter a word. Ami was unusually silent but one could tell that she readily agreed with Mina. Usagi just looked at her hands that were gripping the white sheets of the hospital bed. She did not want to believe it.  
  
"Well... I watched this show and it dealt with pregnancy! I mean, her symptoms are the same with those pregnant women." Mina softly said. She did not want Usagi to feel bad about this. After all, she was just guessing. Who knows? Her guess might be true.  
  
"I don't think she's pregnant! Do pregnant women faint?" Makoto said, practically shouting. Her hands balled into fists. "C'mon, tell me!!!"  
  
"As a matter of fact, they do..." An unknown voice said. The girls turned to see a woman with dark green hair and red eyes standing near the bed. She held a clipboard and was dressed in a white lab coat. "Hello. I am the doctor with the results. You see, there are cases that certain pregnant women faint, the causes are usually stress and work."  
  
"Well, what are the results, doctor?" Makoto said. She was dying to know and so did everyone else. Usagi was probably the only one who wasn't listening; she was lost in her own thoughts.  
  
'Am I pregnant? Could I be?!' the words repeated in her mind. She continued to look at her hands which were now starting to tremble. She looked at the doctor and asked, "Am I... Am I really pregnant?"  
  
"Yes." Came the short and blunt reply. Makoto looked as if she was going to die, Mina had a sad look on her face, Ami looked outside the window again, and Usagi just looked down. The doctor turned to the door and said, "I'd better get going. I have other patients. Please come back in two months."  
  
"Hey... Guys, I guess this is true. I hope none of you tell Mamoru. He doesn't have to know yet. He'll know, in time. I just can't believe I'm pregnant already. I'm just 22 years old..." Usagi said as she looked at the faces of her closest friends. There was nothing she could do. She only wanted her friends to help her. With tears falling down her cheeks, she whispered in a voice almost inaudible, "Please... Please help me through this."  
  
Mina was the first to recover from the shock. She looked at Usagi and said, "You know that we won't leave you. This is what friends are for..."  
  
"Yeah..." Makoto and Ami said synonymously. They all went to the bed and hugged Usagi. She started to sob terribly when her friends hugged her. This was all happening too quickly for her. The other girls just comforted her and spoke quietly to her that it would be okay. Soon, she looked up, her eyes filled with both sadness and gratefulness, she whispered, "Thanks, guys."  
  
Eight and Three-Fourth Months Later...  
  
Mamoru still had no idea that Usagi was pregnant. The café was a complete success and it became really famous. During those months, the girls continued with their lives. They all had fun times but still had a few quarrels because of Usagi's hay-wiring hormones.. Since Usagi was due in about a week, or so they thought, they all took special care for her. I mean, she did look like she swallowed a basketball or something...  
  
A young, violet-haired woman stepped out of the taxi cab she rented. She paid the man and dropped her luggage into the pavement. She was wearing a purple top which accented her eyes and black pants with black boots. She adjusted her sunglasses and looked up to see the bright, bold letters- MOON CAFÉ.  
  
"Well, would you look at this place?" the lady said as she carried her luggage inside, looked around, and saw three familiar looking faces. Her face lit up at the sight of them and she called out, "Mako-chan!! Ami- chan!! Mina-chan!!!"  
  
The three girls looked up and saw the all-too-familiar face. They all smiled brightly, dropping whatever they were holding, and ran to her, saying her name in squeals, "Rei!!!"  
  
"How have you guys been? And would you look at this place? I mean, wow!" Rei said as she looked around the inside of the restaurant. The walls were painted in cerulean and midnight blue swirls with silver stars painted on them. The chairs were comfy and nice. The lamps were shaped in stars and moons. But the best was the painting in the ceiling. The painting of the universe-galaxies, stars, and planets. "Hey! Where's Usa-chan?"  
  
"Right here!" a cheerful voice called out. Usagi came out of the kitchen looking as big as ever. She was wearing a pale-yellow summer dress which ruffled whenever she moved. Her hair was set up in a bun and her eyes were still as blue as the sky. Rei looked her over and gasped. The twinkle in the blonde's eyes only brightened as she laughed. "I don't look half as bad, don't you think?"  
  
"Wow!! I can't... Wow!!" Rei was at a loss for words. The other girls were just staring at her, holding their giggles. The look on Rei's face was priceless and her purple eyes showed much shock. "How long have you been like this? Why didn't you guys tell me?"  
  
"We'll tell you all about our adventures! We'll just get the guys to handle everything here. We could all use a day off!" Ami happily said and she walked over to one guy and talked to him. The guy nodded and ran into the kitchen. He went out with a platter of pastries and another guy followed him with five mugs of creamy chocolate shakes. The food was put on a vacant table and the girls sat in the seats. Ami sat after she helped Usagi sit down, and said, "Here... This is on the house."  
  
"Talk about fast service." Rei said as she sipped the shake. The other girls were eating the pastries. "I can't believe that you're pregnant, Usa- chan!! We're going to be aunts!! And you guys did not tell me!! Wait... What was Mamoru's reaction?"  
  
"I knew you were going to ask that..." Usagi said while holding her chocolate cookie in two fingers. The other girls just stared down on their shakes. Usagi looked at them and Rei and smiled softly as she assured the other girls, "It's okay, guys, I'll tell this story...  
  
For another half-hour, Usagi told Rei of how Mamoru had treated her. How he neglected her because of his growing company and of how she left him. She told her of the start of their café and her visit to the doctor, when she found out that she was pregnant. And all of the events that happened during those eight and a half months.  
  
"I can't believe that happened!" Rei exclaimed as Usagi finished her story. Her own brother, neglecting his own wife. This was surreal. She had no idea of what had been happening. "I mean, why didn't you tell me? And why didn't confront him. If I were you, I would have gone straight to his office and slapped him into his senses! Whatever happened to my brother?!"  
  
"You see, Rei-chan, we couldn't tell you because you were away and we were afraid that you'll do just as you said." Ami said as she passed Mina the cookies. She was wearing a light pink top and jeans. Mina said, in between bites, "Yeah, but now you know! Ok, are you gonna stay here forever or are you gonna leave again?"  
  
"I am gonna stay... I've wanted to come back for so long but my boss didn't want me to go. So, I filed a transfer affidavit and here I am!" the dark- haired girl said with much enthusiasm. She did not want the girls to know that she was going straight to Mamoru's office after this. "I'm going to see the apartment I'm going to rent. You know, to get me settled down. By the way, Usa-chan, is anyone staying at your house?"  
  
"OHH!! Yeah, there's this really cute guy who stays with her, his name is Seiya!" Mina said while nudging Usagi playfully. Seiya was Usagi's cousin, the girls did not meet him in Usagi's wedding because he was not able to come. She straightened out her black skirt and lemon sleeveless top. "She says that this cute guy was her cousin but I'm not sure!!! He's been with her since the start of her pregnancy!"  
  
"Mina!!!" Usagi snapped. Seiya was her cousin, he just wanted to help her. "He just wants to help and he IS my cousin, you guys. He wasn't at my wedding, you know!! Oh, I forgot, we have to paint the baby's room! He'll be here soon... Wait... Here he comes now!!"  
  
True enough, a handsome man with raven hair and dark blue eyes, entered the café. He had a lean but muscular build and he wore a beige, open-necked polo with form fitting jeans. The girls stared at him, goggle-eyed, while Usagi just giggled. The man turned around and saw Usagi's blonde head and called out, "Usa!!! C'mon, time to go home!"  
  
"Seiya-kun, come here... There are some people I'd like you to meet!" Usagi said as she stood up and waved to him. Seiya slightly smiled and walked over to the girls' table. He saw four more other girls who were each pretty in their own way. Usagi smiled brightly and sat Seiya down in another chair. "Well, this is Ami, Mina, Makoto and Rei!!! They're my best buds. Guys, this is my cousin, Seiya Kou."  
  
"Nice to meet you! I hope you haven't been stressing Usa, here!" Seiya said as he patted her in the head. He loved his cousin so much since he practically grew up with her. "She's due in a week, I think! Then, I'll be an uncle!!!"  
  
"Seiya!!" Usagi said as she playfully punched him. Sometimes he talks too much and that causes embarrassment. The girls all laughed at the two. They realized that they really were cousins because of the way they treated each other. Then, Usagi stood up and Seiya followed, they said goodbye to the girls and left the café in Seiya's silver Porsche. Then, Rei looked at her watch and stood up. "Guys, I have got to go!! See ya!! Bye!!"  
  
She left the girls who had strange looks on their faces and went straight to the apartment. After settling down, she called a cab and went to her brother's company. She walked through the lobby and in front of the reception desk. The receptionist regarded her with curious eyes and Rei confidently said, "Please tell Mr. Chiba that his sister is here."  
  
In Mamoru's Office...  
  
Mamoru sat at his armchair with his feet up. His company was a great success and he was proud of it. But he felt as if there was something missing, as if his life was empty. He realized that this emptiness was caused by his wife's disappearance. It had been...what... 9 months since he last saw her. He had no idea where she was. Her friends keep telling him that they, too, have no idea where she was, though he highly doubted that.  
  
He would remember the times they spent together... When they first started dating and he'd call her "Usako." She blushed when he first called her that. How beautiful she looked on their wedding day. When he'd wake her up by kissing her ivory cheeks and she'd smile at him with a most angelic smile. When he chased her around the house when she woke him up with a squirt gun. And yeah, when she completed her first unburned meal... He realized that he was nothing without her...  
  
'Usako... Where are you? Please... Please come back! I need you!!' Mamoru screamed in his mind as he put his hands on his face. He wanted to look for her, really, he did. But what was it that stopped him? What was it again?  
  
"What the heck were you thinking Mamoru?" a female voice practically screamed out at him. Mamoru looked up and saw his sister standing in front of him. She slammed her hands down on his desk and continued, "Do you know that just as I arrived here in Tokyo, all the happiness that I had vanished? Why? Because I just found out about what you did to my best friend!!! You have no idea of what you have caused her to suffer! Since when did you become a cold, heartless beast?!"  
  
"What do you want, sis? I am in no mood to hear such things!" Mamoru said in a dead voice as he reached out for a stack of papers. He didn't want his sister to talk about this subject. It was hurting him too much already. Rei glared at him and felt like kicking him in the head. "I am dead tired, Rei. Leave me alone!"  
  
"I guess Usa's right. You have been taking more care of this company than of your own wife! I just can't believe how cool you act toward this!" Rei frustratedly said. She sat down on one of his black chairs and sunk down on it. She looked at him, he was now holding his head in his hands as if he was having a huge headache, and sighed loudly. "I just can't believe it. And she's pregnant, too. What will she tell the kid?"  
  
Mamoru's head shot up as he heard that word. Rei suddenly stopped from talking and glared at her brother, her eyes flaming with rage again. He thought for a moment and shouted, "She's what?!?!"  
  
"You heard me right! She's pregnant!!! She's due this week!!!" Rei screamed at her older brother. He winced at her loud voice and looked at her with his midnight blue eyes, piercingly. Rei looked at her side and remembered how happy Usagi was on her wedding day and how happy she was even though her marriage had fallen apart. She said in a gentler tone, "I'm glad that she's still the same... Whatever happened to you? Why didn't you look for her?"  
  
"Something stopped me... I don't know what it is... I'm confused, sis, I really am!" Mamoru said to her as his hands grabbed his head once more. Honestly, he really was. There was a thing in his heart that stopped him from doing all that. Rei, then, looked at him as if she understood. "I know what it is, Mamoru, it's pride."  
  
That was it. Pride... It was pride that stopped him from looking for her, from asking forgiveness. Then, he realized that pride was not going to stop him now. He was going to look for her and ask for forgiveness. He was going to leave his pride and let it burn "down there." He knew it would hard but this time, he's not stopping for anything. Rei looked at him and saw the inner battle going inside her brother. She wrote Usagi's address in a piece of paper and dropped it into Mamoru's desk. She knew her work was done and with the look on his face, she left the office and went to her apartment...  
  
"That's it!! I'm looking for her!!" Mamoru exclaimed to his sister... Then, he realized that she already left. He sweatdropped and noticed the paper lying on top of his desk. He read it and smiled. 'Thanks, sis!'  
  
He told his secretary that he was going to take a day off. He hopped into his black jaguar, the car Usagi dragged him to buy for them, and drove happily to where the address pointed. He arrived to a house that was white and had blue shingles. He laughed to himself as he realized that it was just two blocks away from their old house. He sold it and started to rent an apartment when she left. He stepped out of the car, skipped the doorbell, and knocked on the door. He was expecting to see a familiar face when a man, instead, answered the door.  
  
"Hello!! And yes, who are you? Me? I'm Seiya!!" the man whom Mamoru did not recognize jabbered out. He was wearing a white shirt with a denim jumper covered in paint splatters. Mamoru felt a rage within him as he looked at the man. Just then, a cheerful voice called out from within the house, "Sei- chan, who was that?"  
  
Mamoru noticed the endearment and the rage within him just grew into what he could not contain. He grabbed the man by the shirt and stepped inside the house. The living room was empty but Usagi came out from one of the other rooms. She was wearing something like Seiya was, a jumper and a shirt which was both covered in paint splatters. She was holding a paint brush and a bucket. She gasped as she saw who was choking her cousin and exclaimed, "Mamoru... What are you doing here?!"  
  
"Well, I came here to visit you when I find out that this guy's in here!!" Mamoru spat out angrily. Usagi stepped forward and boldly said, "You have no right to be here! And let go of my cousin!!!"  
  
"Yeah, man, I am her cousin! So, would you please let go? Geez, what is it with people and cousins?" Seiya said, slightly frowning. Mamoru let him go but still glared at the man. He looked at Usagi, his eyes demanding an explanation. She motioned him to sit down on the couch. Usagi said as Seiya stood beside her and rubbed his neck, "I guess, you found out when Rei arrived. As you can see, I am happy. I have my own house, a job that I love and someone who appreciates me."  
  
"But... Usako!" Mamoru exclaimed. Usagi looked at him sharply, her cerulean eyes piercing his own dark ones. Seiya coolly said, "I'm sorry, buddy, but my cousin does not like to be referred to as that. Anyway, she's not a bunny anymore. She got rid of her meatballs."  
  
"Oh... Sorry... Anyway, Usagi... I'm so sorry for what happened between us. My pride got in the way... I'm so sorry! I know what I did was wrong but I'll do my best to be the best husband ever! Please... Just come back!! " Mamoru said as he looked at Usagi. The look on his face made Usagi's heart soften. She knew he had changed. But, then, she made a look on her face. It was scary. As if she was in real pain. This caused Mamoru to say, "Ok, I take it back!! You don't have to hurry!!"  
  
"IDIOT! I will come back, ok? " Usagi said through gritted teeth. Her water just broke and she was going into labor. "Would you mind helping me!! My baby's coming!!"  
  
Seiya grabbed Usagi's arm and helped her. Mamoru opened the door for them and said that they use his car. Mamoru drove to the hospital as quick as he could, they got her to the ER and the doctors and nurses took care of her. Mamoru called the girls and told them where they were and what was happening. Seiya was pacing the floor and Mamoru just stood beside the delivery room doors.  
  
"MAMORU!!!" the scream caused Mamoru to knock loudly at the doors. He went in, leaving his phone to Seiya. Seiya looked more tense than ever because that scream gave him goosebumps. The girls arrived and were all pacing the floor. Seiya was slightly irritated by the five pairs of high heels tick- tacking on the wooden floor. I mean, it was hard to think with the screaming and blood rushing fast in your veins but add tick-tacking of heels? Man, was this getting on his nerves!  
  
"Do you think she's ok? I mean, she's screaming so loud!!" Makoto said as she finally sat down. In the background, you could hear Usagi's screaming. The girls just looked at her and shrugged. Ami half-jokingly said, "Usagi always screams, remember? Whenever she'd fall, that's what she'd do!!"  
  
"Yeah!! Hehehehe!!!" Mina said in a shaky laugh. Another scream echoed in the delivery room. They all turned to it sharply but it did not open. It brought shivers down their spines. Seiya was as white as sheet. He asked, "Guys, how long has it been? Is she coming out soon?"  
  
"I don't know! It's been five hours!" Ami exclaimed. This was the first time that Ami turned pale. All the other girls were just holding on to each other. Rei was praying and so was Seiya...  
  
Inside The Delivery Room...  
  
"AAAHHHH!!" Usagi screamed once more, her grip on Mamoru's hand just tightened. He felt as if his hand would fall off. He looked at her and wiped the beads of perspiration that were forming on her forehead. Then, the doctor said, "I see the head!! It's coming out! One more!"  
  
"AAAAAAHHHH!!" There came another long scream. She had given that scream all the energy she got left. She was extremely tired of this screaming business. Finally, the doctor lifted up the baby. "It's a girl!!"  
  
Mamoru looked at Usagi, whose face was pale and tired. She looked back at him and smiled, glad that it was through. The doctor gave her the bundle and they saw their own daughter crying at the cold world she was born into. Usagi fell asleep, but only after they named her Rini. Mamoru took the bundle from her so that the nurses could bring her to the hospital room, but before that, he kissed her forehead and went out.  
  
Outside The Delivery Room...  
  
"Hey, the screaming stopped. You think Mamoru's coming out soon?" Rei asked. As if on cue, the doors did open and out stepped a weary looking man who was holding a bundle of white clothing. The bundle revealed a pinkish little baby with a taft of pink hair. The girls and Seiya crowded around him as he said, "It's a girl! Rini!"  
  
Rei was crying and so was Makoto. Mina and Seiya were jumping around while Ami just smiled brightly. But they were all wondering why Mamoru's hand looked swollen. The nurse took the baby and brought her to the nursery room. Mamoru told them where Usagi's room was and went ahead. He asked them to wait a while so he could talk to her alone.  
  
"Usako?!" Mamoru whispered as he entered the white hospital room. Even though she was very pale, she looked beautiful. The last rays of the sun hit her in positions that highlighted her natural beauty. Usagi was looking out the window when she turned to him and smiled weakly. He sat down and continued, "So, are you really coming back?"  
  
"I am... I still love you, you know. I can never love anyone else." Usagi said as she looked at him. Joy sprang up from his eyes and he smiled. "I just wanted you to learn that there are more important things in life. I guess you did come looking for me, even though it was a bit late! But you came right when I was to give birth!"  
  
"Yeah..."Mamoru laughed softly. He cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her. They held that kiss as if they did not want to let go. But, they snapped back to reality as someone purposely coughed.  
  
"Hey!! I'm so glad we got here on time or we might have another Chiba in the world!" Seiya jokingly said. The group had arrived and all wanted to talk to the new mother. Mamoru stood up and held his hand out to Seiya as an act of friendship. "I guess, this means, we're friends! Well, at least, Usa doesn't have to worry anymore!"  
  
"Yeah, thanks for taking care of her when I couldn't! And yeah, I'm sorry about the way I treated you earlier." Mamoru said sheepishly. There he was again, leaving his pride by apologizing. He turned around and saw his wife smiling at them. She went back to her friends, who were busy chatting away with her. She stifled a yawn when Mamoru looked at her again and her eyes showed much weariness. He understood and said to the group, "Guys, I think we better let her sleep. She's been through a lot!"  
  
The guys all agreed and went out. Usagi thanked him silently and snuggled in the bed. Mamoru just smiled and sat down in a chair beside her. He was glad that she was coming back. He wasn't expecting her to, with all the things he did. It proved that she was still the same, the same girl he had fallen in love with, the same old bunny who had a heart of pure gold...  
  
Three Years Later...  
  
It was a bright summer day. A happy family drove to a flower-filled meadow where all their closest friends met them. A little girl with wavy pink hair in pigtails, who has just turned three that very same day, toddled towards the familiar people as soon as she stepped out of their car. They all welcomed her with a big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RINI!!" and got a huge smile in return...  
  
"You know, Usako, it's amazing how we survived through it all. I thought you would never come back." An ebony-haired man said to his petite, blonde wife. Her sky-blue orbs glimmered at the sight before her. She looked at him and smiled, "Mamo-chan, we can survive anything as long as we believe in each other. I knew you would come but the past is the past, let's put it behind us... for Rini."  
  
"I'm so glad I have you... You bring so much joy into my life. I love you so much!!" The man said as he gazed at her with his midnight eyes. She smiled more and hugged him. The toddler left the group and walked to her parents. The man picked her up and tossed her into the air. The air was filled with her laughter and her mother just looked on, her silky, golden hair flowing with the wind.  
  
"Ma-ma! Da-da!!" the toddler looked up at them as she was finally put down in the ground. Her parents just smiled at her and her cute antics as she twirled around and sat down on the ground. She lifted her short arms to her father and said, "Cawwy me!!"  
  
'To think, if I stayed with pride, I would never experience this.' Mamoru said to himself as he carried his daughter. With his bunny beside him, they walked to their group of friends to enjoy that bright summer day....  
  
(Author's Note: Hello!! Hope you people like it. Please review and please give me suggestions and advice! I would really appreciate it. Oh yeah! This lil' fic is dedicated to a close friend who had a crush on Usagi when he was a kid! Thanks for reading!! Ah.. Yeah, please be nice coz this is one of my first fics. Remember, read and review!!! -chibi_abi) 


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